Bother's of the Rose: Souls of True Love
by DoomDesireforLove
Summary: Logan and Ethan are the new kids at the DWMA. They seem to be intertwined with the Thompson sisters. Logan is a Miester and the silent Ethan is his multi weapon. When Maka learns her true feelings a romance blossoms. This is a love story. Rated M for language. Please review and PM. MakaXOC I DO NOT OWN SOUL EATER.
1. Chapter 1: The new kids

Chapter 1: The new Kid. You know each other?

His first day and he was late. How was he supposed to be taken seriously if he wasn't on time? He was sprinting to get to his first class. His hair had come out of its small ponytail. He screamed out to the howling fall wind,

"Damn it all!"

Another boy followed him in silence.

Meanwhile two hours before; Blackstar was air boxing with a huge grin on his face. Soul and Maka walked up to him while Tsubaki had a sarcastic laugh coming from her stomach. Maka was the one to ask,

"Okay Blackstar, what are you doing?"

"Of course you didn't hear. You guys are always so behind."

"Yeah whatever. So what has got you amped up today?"

"Well there is a new kid coming into the school."

"Yeah and I'm guessing this will be like when Kid came to our school."

"What about me?"

Death the Kid was joining the group without his twin pistols with him today. Liz and Patty weren't trailing behind him. He no doubt would refuse combat training today. Liz was running small errands around town for the school. Kid would've sent just Patty but when asked to run them, she asked what an errand actually was. So Liz decided to bring Patty along. Blackstar was the one to answer,

"Yeah it will be like when I defeated you the first time you came here."

Kid gave a light little laugh and said,

"Well I guess we can tell Sid that we are going to show the new kid everything. It is more of a public service to show him or her what our school is like."

The made sure it was okay and Sid agreed to let them introduce the new student. Blackstar went wild with his excitement for battle. The rest of the group wasn't planning on attacking every new kid that stepped on the grounds. They stepped outside and waited around until two boys gasping for air reached the front of the DWMA. Blackstar was the first to yell at the tallest one with the ponytail,

"Hey what the hell? You are soooo late."

The boy took a deep breath and regained his smug little composure. His voice was smooth and gentle,

"Look Ethan, we have a welcoming party."

The other boy made a scoff and said nothing. Maka extended her arm for the strange boy to shake her hand. The boy said,

"Hello, my name is Logan. Sorry we are late. Were we supposed to have someone here to guide us?"

"No actually we are here to-"

"Kick your ass."

Blackstar's blatant interruption made Maka say,

"Maka CHOP!"

The blood that poured out of Blackstar's head and onto the ground was rushing around the pavement. Logan stepped forward and shook Maka's hand. He looked down at Blackstar and said,

"If it means so much to you, I could use a good warm up. Get up and fight."

Blackstar jumped back to his feet and waved over Tsubaki. They cleared enough space for the spectacle to happen. Ethan stood behind Logan and Tusbaki behind Blackstar. Logan smiled and said,

"Ethan, Kopis blade form, please."

The silent boy nodded and he transformed into what resembled a Spartan's old battle sword. Blackstar said,

"Tsubaki, kunai form, now."

"Yes."

She transformed into a ninja like hidden blade. Maka was the official referee for the sparing match. Her hand raised and she yelled out,

"Okay, when I say start w-"

"Alright let's go!"

Blackstar ran at Logan with fight in his voice. He went to stab but was sidestepped. Logan grabbed Blackstar's arm and twisted it until the point of the kunai was just about to stab the back of Blackstar's head. Logan's voice was calm and collected as the others were stunned at what they had just witnessed,

"The lady didn't even say to start. That was very rude. You don't just go interrupting a pretty girl for no reason. I have a certain level of chivalry. I won't break your arm but I will do this."

He turned his blade backwards and struck Blackstar in the chest. He let out a grunt and stumbled back with a scowl on his face. Maka and Soul were conversing on the sidelines,. Maka said,

"Did you hear that?"

"Yeah, I did. He called you pretty. Man he must have a screw loose."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"Oh did I say that out loud?"

Logan wasn't trying to toy with Blackstar but since he was getting angry, he was easy to dodge. He was making him pay for his mistakes; slapping him with the blade and not cutting him. This in turn only made him more upset. Blackstar finally said,

"Tsubaki, Enchanted Sword, Now!"

Maka's voice called out,

"Don't try to kill him. What are you doing Blackstar?"

Logan wasn't the slightest concerned. He smiled as the black sword came into view. Logan said,

"Soul Resonance. Phalanx Strike."

His body started to glow red before Blackstar's body was thrown back by a blow from Logan's elbow. Blackstar was holding his chest as several more blows ripped into several more parts of his body. He fell to his knees and Logan stood above Blackstar. An familiar voice yelled out,

"Logan? Ethan? Is that you guys?"

Logan turned his head and saw Liz and Patty Thompson standing at the front steps smiling at him. He threw Ethan up in the air and he transformed back into his normal form. Logan yelled,

"As I live and breathe, it's the Thompson sisters. It has been way too long. Last time we saw you, you were two badass girls who were ready to take over that city."

Patty ran up and gave Logan a huge bear hug and switched to Ethan as Liz walked up to Logan. He was expecting a slap to the back or some sly comment. Instead she wrapped her arms around him and said,

"We missed you. We never got to do what we had planned."

He returned the gentle hug and said,

"Yeah I'm sorry about that. It was the last thing I wanted to do, but you know I wasn't able to save Lily that night."

"Yeah I know, but at least you're okay."

"Thanks. Well I am going to your school now. We can hang out as much as you want now."

"Good."

Maka and everyone joined the little reunion. Soul said,

"Do you guys know each other or something? That's cool I guess."

Maka chimed in,

"So can you tell us how you know each other?"

"Yeah I guess we can let you in on how we are intertwined. Do you want to tell it Liz?"

"No. You can tell it."

"Okay."


	2. Chapter 2:Stand Off

Chapter 2: Stand-off. A Meeting of Fortune?

"I'm cold."

"Here Rose, take my coat."

Logan slipped off his jacket and wrapped it around his sister. Ethan followed looking around at the city. At that time Ethan at the time did talk,

"Where do you plan on going? Mom and Dad are dead. It isn't like we can go back to our house; it's burned down."

Logan's voice was ridged and unfeeling,

"We just have to keep going. The cash we recovered should be enough to get us a place to stay for a few weeks. After that, I hope I can find a job or something. Please don't mention the fire in front of Rose, we are all feeling horrible but most of all, she does."

Ethan stared at the ground. He knew that even if they ran into trouble they would be fine. They moved on or they would die. It was as simple as that. Logan had cried all his tears out and had become a shell of who he used to be. The oldest boy walked with only a hoodie covering him, while giving up everything he had to make sure his siblings would be comfortable. As they passed an alleyway, Ethan heard a noise and the wayward children jumped back. Two girls wrapped in jackets stepped from the shadows. As they moved closer, Logan gave his siblings a glance that said

'_Be ready.'_

The taller one spoke up,

"Hey look at what we have here. Some snot nose punks who seem to have lost their way. What could they be out in the middle of the night for?"

"What do you want?"

Logan's voice was they authority in the group. The girl tapped her sister's shoulder and she started to change. Her voice was cold,

"All your cash, and anything in your pockets."

Her accomplice landed in her hand as a pistol, which she aimed at the oldest. By the time she had the pistol in her palm, Logan had two revolvers in his hands and his siblings were gone. He put his best tough guy voice on,

"I don't think so."

The girl had a confused face on then finally smiled. She realized that his siblings were weapons as well. Logan was prepared to kill anyone who threatened his only family. His trigger finger was twitching with fear. He didn't want to hurt these strangers but he would if he had to. In his left hand, his sister, the black revolver with a golden heart pendant hanging from the handle. In his right hand Ethan, the silver pistol with a platinum pair of rings hanging from a ribbon. The tall one started to laugh and then the pistol turned back into the other girl. Her voice was lighter and smooth,

"Man you kids have guts. Never thought I'd see another pistol pair."

Logan said,

"First of all, you are actually probably younger than I am. Second of all, they aren't just pistols, they are multi-weapons. They can turn into anything they want."

"Is that right? Well anyway, my name is Elizabeth Thompson, but call me Liz. This is my younger sister Patricia, but call her Patty. Come with us, you look cold."

Logan didn't even notice that his body was trembling from the cold. He was reluctant, but they wouldn't last without a place to stay. The silver pistol said,

"Let's go."

Logan followed and the two he had turned back to their normal selves. Liz kept looking back on the orphans and Logan gave her a piercing look every time. It took about fifteen minutes to reach a small building. They stepped inside and Patty flipped on the light. Logan took a few steps and collapsed onto the ground. It was warm and clean. He didn't want to fall down, his knees buckled after not sleeping for three days. His siblings helped him up and carried him to a couch. Liz and Patty were standing and Liz said,

"If you need to shower, it is over there. We will make up beds for all of you. Don't screw anything up when you go in there."

Rose said,

"Why are you helping us? Why would you?"

"Settle down tigress. There is no point to _not_ helping you. I am impressed, that is all."

"My name is Rose."

Logan got up and said,

"That's enough. We aren't going to get anywhere arguing. Liz was it? My name is Logan, and this is my brother Ethan and my sister Rose. We are grateful for your hospitality, even if you were trying to mug us at first."

Liz replied,

"Logan huh?"

"Yes my name is Logan Lieben."

The flashback of how they met made Blackstar's head spin. Tsubaki giggled and Maka gave them all a smile. Kid spoke up,

"Why didn't you mention these guys before?"

Liz was the one to answer,

"You never asked. Plus I haven't seen them in a while. Not since Logan stood me up."

"It wasn't like I wanted to. You know what happened."

"Yes I know. But I needed to give you some shit."

"Ooh still have your old dirty mouth I see."

"It isn't like your mouth is made of spring water."

"True."

Patty examined Ethan even though he was trying not to lock eyes with her. When she did she let out a breath and said,

"Why won't Ethan talk anymore?"

Logan stopped gabbing with Liz and said,

"He has taken a vow of silence. Don't worry, he still likes you."

"Yay! Ethan give me a hug. I missed my old boyfriend."

She hugged him and he wrapped his arms around her. He had a note pad for talking without words. He wrote down on the pad,

'_I missed you too Patty. I'm so happy to see you.'_

Patty blushed and kissed his check before saying,

"I'm so glad."

They got a few glances while they were catching up. Kid had a surprised look on his face,

"Patty had a boyfriend?"

Logan smiled as Ethan smiled for the first time since they left the city.


	3. Chapter 3: Rivals Reborn

Chapter 3: Rivals Reborn. New Sparks for Old Flames?

Logan admired Liz no doubt. He liked her a lot. She had only gotten cuter over time. Logan wished that he was able to tell her how he really felt about her. It had been so long since he had even seen her face, but he thought about her every day. Ethan held his notepad up to Logan while Patty sat on his lap, cooing over him. It read,

'_Logan, I want to spar with Patty and Liz.'_

Liz nodded and said,

"Well, this takes me back. We haven't sparred in a very long time."

Patty jumped at the chance to impress her old boyfriend. Kid stood by as they transformed into pistols and fell into his hands. Logan nodded to Ethan and said,

"Let's humor them a bit. Revolver form, please."

Ethan nodded and his body warped into the revolver that had both the heart pendant and the rings hanging from the handle. They were all ready to fight. Logan made the first move, shooting at Kid's chest. He made the first move, shooting at Kid's chest. He expertly dodged the first shot. He jumped over Logan and seven consecutive shots missed Kid's body. Kid landed perfectly and then he said,

"Mortal Sin stance."

His body twisted into his confusing stance. Words carved into Ethan's barrel, it was his own way of communicating in weapon form. Logan smiled,

"Sure thing. I'll do that."

Logan moved his body into his own battle stance. Kid's face went even paler than normal. Only he would know how much trouble he was in. Logan said,

"Divine stance."

Liz and Patty didn't know this "battle stance" but they weren't going give up just yet. Kid had a tear coming from his right eye. The stance was unbelievably asymmetrical and Kid's face went from terrified to furious. His eyes went blank and he was matching every word with a shot,

"Disgusting, disgusting, disgusting, disgusting."

Logan was shooting every shot before it collided with him. Kid was only getting stronger. He screamed out,

"Soul Resonance: Death Cannon."

The two girls turned into something that both Ethan and Logan had never seen. It was a soul resonance after all; they didn't have it before. Logan laughed and said,

"Soul Resonance: Rosa Blanca."

A rose vine sprouted from the back of the silver revolver. It wrapped around Logan's arm and reached up to his shoulder. A white light appeared at the end of the barrel. His hair started to float as his eyes were glowing blue. The white light silently moved out as a gigantic wave, breaking the ground up as it moved along. Kid wasn't able to dodge the attack. His attack wasn't fully charged and the light absorbed him. The blinding scene faded and Kid was lying on the ground with a small bit of smoke billowing out from his chest. Liz and Patty turned back to normal and shook Kid awake. He turned to see the school. One of the candles was completely burned down. Kid let out a little squeak and passed out again. Logan laughed and Ethan ran back to Patty. He scribbled down a quick note,

'_We didn't hurt you, did we?'_

Patty smiled and said,

"No, we're fine. That was cool. It was all bright and it just, boom."

Logan walked up to Liz and gave her his hand. She blushed and gave her hand to him. He pulled her up and her face was only centimeter away from his. Her face went bright red and she turned away from him. Logan's voice was sweet and kind,

"Are you okay? Nothing broken?"

"No, nothing broken."

"Good, I wouldn't want that. "

He hugged her and she let out a sigh as she returned the hug. Several paper balls kept striking Logan in the back of the head. He turned and said,

"What do you want Ethan? Trying to have a moment here."

His notepad was attacked by his pen until he showed it to Logan. He tapped the pen on the paper. It read,

'_We are soooooo late.'_

Logan's eye twitched for a few seconds and he said,

"Damn it all!"

Maka laughed and said,

"Don't worry; we are excused from class to show you around. You won't be marked absent."

"Oh. Well that makes sense. Thanks for that."

He turned back to Liz and she smiled a cute smile. Logan blushed as he looked into her sky blue eyes. Maka pulled Liz aside as they were walking into the school,

"Do you like him or something?"

Liz said nothing as her face turned beat red. She walked on.


	4. Chapter 4: New School

Chapter 4: New School. A Battle for the Ages?

Logan and Ethan were in amazement as they studied the interior of the building. They were shown the bathrooms, the lunch room, and where all their classes were. They arrived at Sid's room. Just as they were about to enter the door, Maka pulled Liz aside and asked,

"Seriously. You think of him as more than a friend, don't you?"

Liz lowered her voice and said,

"Would you just drop it? It is all history."

"Just tell me what happened, because it doesn't seem like history to you. Friends don't just blush every time they get close unless there is something more."

"I'll tell you when we aren't around him. Is that okay?"

"Yeah. I'd like to know what happened."

They entered in the middle of a sentence Sid was saying at the time. Ethan was holding Patty's hand as the whole class turned to see the new kids. Sid's voice rang out from the front of the class,

"Well there they are. Please come to the front of the class, boys. Let's introduce you two."

Ethan let go of Patty and she said,

"Don't go."

Ethan scribbled down,

'_Don't worry. I'll be back.'_

The two young men were calm and cool as they made it to where the undead teacher was standing. Logan of course spoke for the both of them,

"Hello. My name is Logan Lieben, and this is my brother Ethan. It is a pleasure to be attending this school. My brother doesn't talk so he communicates with notes and stuff like that. He is also a multi-weapon."

Sid spoke,

"Well luckily we were just about to go to the practice field to have a bit of combat practice. Even though you have already fought two battles I think one more will be good."

"Wait how did you know we already fought?"

"You think we couldn't feel the ground shaking?"

"Oh that makes sense now."

Sid directed the students outside and Ethan rejoined with Patty as other students stared with faces that said,

'_These two know each other?'_

Logan was glad to feel the sun again even though he disliked that it was constantly laughing down on the city. Logan was wondering who he was going to be fighting. The first match was called out,

"Albarn and Eater, against the Liebenbrothers."

Maka and Soul were ready for the battle. They probably arranged it with Sid. Soul transformed into his scythe form after he said,

"Alright, let's make this battle cool."

"Ethan, scythe form please."

Ethan smiled and turned into a bright white scythe that had a hooked tip. Logan span the blade around his body catching it I his right hand,

"This is Ethan's favorite form besides his gun."

Sid blew a whistle he had in his hand to start the match. Maka wasted no time and swung Soul around while running at Logan. With a smile he swung at her legs. She jumped over the strike and Logan hit her in the lower chest with the handle of his weapon. She swung and missed as she fell back. Maka launched forward swinging upward connecting with Logan's blade. He stumbled back and Maka slammed her palm into Logan's sternum. He slipped backward and raised his knee into her stomach. She coughed and held her gut as Soul said,

"Maka what the hell are you doing? You need to focus."

"What the hell do you think I'm doing?"

Logan wagged his index finger at her then curled it, beckoning her to come back at him. She did as his silent gesture told her to. She went back to her attack. Logan went to strike at her stomach again, but only with his hand. She put up Soul as a defense, hoping the handle would stop him. Instead, Logan switched his attack to an aerial spin kick. His feet caught Soul's handle and wrenched him away from Maka. Her weapon was sent flying as she fell to the ground. Logan landed on his feet and with one palm on the ground. Ethan was in his other hand. He was perched over Maka with his face only about two inches from hers. He whispered into her blushing face,

"Wow. Nice moves. I'm guessing battle moves aren't your best ones though."

He winked and pushed himself from the ground and back to his feet. He span Ethan around a bit and Soul came running back to the battle. He immediately switched back to weapon form. Maka had enough of the battle but Sid wanted to see their real skills,

"Okay. Now let's see your Soul Resonance. Everyone stand back."

Maka closed her eyes and said,

"Soul Resonance: Witch Hunter."

Soul's blade became at least twice as big as it was normally and was glowing. Maka smiled as Logan held his weapon with two hands. He was able to say,

"Soul resonance: Demon Hunter."

A white light engulfed the blade and made it several times bigger. Logan was completely calm.

Sid screamed out,

"Everyone get back. This is a very powerful duel they are having."

Sid could tell that Logan was holding back. It was for everyone's best interest that he didn't use the attack that he was truly capable of. An ultimate scythe technique. Maka ran at Logan and swung Soul directly at his heart. Logan simply put up his hand and caught the Witch Hunter. With a twitch he broke the Soul Resonance that Maka had established. He lightly tapped Maka's rib cage with the end that wasn't sharp, sending her body and partner skipping across the ground. Soul switched to normal and caught her in his arms. She opened her eyes to see Logan and Ethan running up to them with a terrified look on their faces. The rest of the class gave the Lieben brothers a round of applause as Logan went up to Maka,

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to put that much power into that. Are you okay?"

She smiled and put one thumb up to him. He sighed and then patted his brother on the back then helped Maka up while Ethan helped the disgruntled Soul up. The class gave the contestants another round of applause. Logan smiled as Liz walked you to him. She had a smile that made Logan feel warm inside. Their first day went off without a hitch.


	5. Chapter 5: A Place to Stay

Chapter 5: A Place to Stay. Eternal Kindness of the One they Call Death?

"So basically you two were trying the whole boyfriend and girlfriend thing?"

Maka and Liz were sitting alone in Maka's apartment. Liz was explaining the whole scenario,

"Yeah. We had a date set up and everything. It didn't work out the way we hoped. He ended up standing me up."

"Why would he do that? I thought of all people he would be someone who would commit to what he plans on doing."

"That would have been the case, but he had to do something else."

"Like what?"

"I'm not at liberty to just tell you. It is a personal matter for him. Maybe one day he will tell you. Even after everything, I still have these feelings for him that I thought were dead. I don't even think he remembers how he felt about me."

"Well don't just give up. If you want him go and get him. As far as I know, he has nothing else going on at the moment. You have to remember that he is new to the city, and a cute, polite boy like him might not last long on the single market."

"Okay. I would feel weird if I just randomly asked him out. I don't know what he likes anymore."

"Well he does like you. That is all that matters right now."

A light knocking came from the door. Maka knew she sent Soul away, so she didn't know anyone else who might be here. A boy's voice came from the door,

"Hey it's Logan. Is this Maka's place? Hello?"

Maka jumped up and opened the door. He smiled and Maka welcomed him in. He gazed around at everything that Soul and Maka had. She finally asked,

"What are you doing here? I never told you where I lived."

"Yeah. Death told me. I am going to be your neighbor after all. Of course Ethan will be joining me."

"Why are you moving in here?"

"Well it _is_ free housing courtesy of Lord Death."

Ethan was dragging a huge pile of stuff through the hallway holding a note up,

'_This sucks'_

Logan giggled and fixed his gaze back to the girls who were in the living space. Maka blushed and Liz's face went even brighter than hers. He said,

"Well I better go help Ethan before he hurts himself. I'll see you guys tomorrow. We don't have school after all. I'd like to see the sights. Speaking of which; Liz would you come with me after we get our stuff in our apartment?"

Liz nodded and he turned away. For the next several hours, they made a ruckus trying to arrange their things. He returned with his hair disheveled. After he fixed it slightly he said,

"Come on Liz, I want to take you somewhere."

"Okay. Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise. I think you might like it."

They left and Maka closed the door and slid to the floor. She had a concerned look in her eyes. She slammed her fist into the wall and said,

"Damn it."

Logan led Liz to a place that she wasn't really familiar with. He led her to an open spot that was outside of the city. There were bottles lining a fence that was at least eighty yards away. As Liz was looking around she tripped and started to fall. Logan grabbed her as she fell. He pulled her close and said,

"Care for some target practice? I'd like to see how you fit in my hands."

"You know you make that sound really creepy right? I'm going to change even though."

"That would be mighty fine Ms. Thompson. Thanks."

She transformed and landed in his hand. He tightly gripped the handle and matched his wavelength to hers. He ran his thumb down the handle and Liz yelled back at him,

"Hey, don't get fresh with me. Don't just think you can touch anything. That's my ass you're fondling."

"Hey don't blame me. I don't know where your ass is when you are in this form. Plus my brother and Rose never complained about it."

"That is because Revolvers don't have their ass right there."

"Ohhh. Okay. But if I might say, it is very nice. I'm sorry that I made you feel uncomfortable."

"Logan, don't worry about it. I don't mind really."

"Okay. If you say so. "

They spent the rest of the afternoon shooting random objects. Liz gazed upon Logan's smiling face after it was all done. She laughed and said,

"You're aim still sucks."

"Still a hell of a lot better than yours."

She let her gaze shift to the ground. He gave her a tender little hug. He whispered in her ear,

"I'm so glad I could finally have a date with you."


	6. Chapter 6: Gentle Nature and Girls

Chapter 6: Gentle Nature and Girls. Just friends?

They were running back in the pouring rain. Logan decided to walk even though Liz tried to pull him along. The fact was that he loved the rain. He wanted to spend more time with Liz, but it soon came time for them to part. He gave her a big hug that didn't last as long as they wanted it to. He said,

"See you tomorrow. This was fun."

"Yes it was. I'm going to get home before I get a cold."

He waved after her as she splashed away from him. He flipped up his hood on his hoodie and turned and looked around. His face was agitated then he said,

"Shit. I don't remember the way back home. This isn't the way we came. Damn it all."

He moved his eyes around looking for anyone that could help him. At the hour of the night that it was it seemed like he would be lost for a while. He started to walk then heard a familiar voice,

"Logan? I thought you were with Liz. What are you doing out here?"

"Maka. Boy I'm glad to see you. I got lost once Liz left. What are you doing out here?"

She stood with only her regular clothes and a bag in her hand. She had a blushing smile on as Logan grinned at her. His face went to concern as he saw that she wasn't bearing any protection from the rain. Her voice was confident, yet shaky,

"Well you guys didn't have any food at your new place so I thought I go and get some for you."

Logan's smile faded as he got closer to her. His voice had deep concern in it,

"Hey I need to thank you, but you really shouldn't be out in the rain like this."

The gray hoodie he had on was pulled off of his shoulders. He handed it to her and she put it on. He put his hands around her shoulders and pulled the hood over her wet hair. He kept close to her as they moved through the empty streets. As he started to shiver from the rain, Maka spoke,

"Hey you can have your hoodie back if you are cold."

"Nah, I'm good. It looks better on you anyway. Well anything looks good on you."

He started to giggle at himself and pushed his dark brown hair out of his lime green eyes. Maka stood flattered by the boy she only knew for about a week. In that time, he had complimented, flattered and all out flustered the young woman. She thought about him in class and while at home. Something about this boy just made her feel warm inside. They finally made it back after several, 'shortcuts' that Maka took. She just wanted to spend time with him. They ascended the stairs and Maka removed Logan's hoodie and held it out to him. He responded,

"You can keep it. Like I said, it does look better on you. Now I think I should go see how Ethan is ah, ah ah-"

Logan sneezed and Maka giggled at him,

"Actually, Ethan is over at Kid's playing cards with them. He said it was a friendly nickel and dime game. So if you want, I can make dinner for us both. How about some nice hot soup?"

"Well I'd like to help. I would love to have dinner with you. I'm going to go change though. I'll be right back."

He removed his shirt before entering his own living space and tossed it in through the door. Maka couldn't help but wonder what was happening behind his door. She shook the thoughts from her head and started to change her own outfit. She slipped into sweatpants and a tank top that showed off a bit of her stomach. Logan returned just as she finished pulling her shirt down. He stepped in wearing cargo shorts and a sleeveless shirt. He had his hair messed up from drying it and had a comb to brush it back to normal. With a stretch he walked up to Maka to say,

"So where's Soul? It is getting pretty late."

"Oh, I kicked him out for the night."

"Why?"

"Remember when you said I was pretty? Well he said some really hurtful things today so I kicked him out."

"What did he say I was wrong?"

"Yes actually."

"I'm sorry. Well don't let him being mean distort the truth. I don't just say things just to be nice. I tell the truth, more or less."

"Well was it more or less with me?"

"More. I meant what I said. I tell it like I see it."

"There is something I wanted to ask you."

"Sure. Tell me what's on your mind."

"What do you think of Liz?"

"Liz? Well she is a really good friend. She is a bit of a smart ass, which is fine with me. But I feel that we have grown too far apart. She doesn't seem to like me as much as before. She avoids my compliments and seems nervous around me. I think she just wants to be friends. Honestly I am okay with that. I don't know sometimes. Maybe I'll find a girl that is more like you. I would be more than happy with that."

He leaned back into a couch and Maka chopped veggies while he talked. He leaned back far enough for his head to be upside down looking at the girl. He enjoyed her company just as much as he liked Liz's. She was kind and gentle, cute and sweet. Logan smiled as his eyes observed her lax outfit. She turned to see him staring at her. Her face went red as she locked eyes with him. She said,

"What? Is there something wrong?"

"Nope. Just admiring you. So what can I do to help with dinner?"

"Well uh…."

Logan slipped onto his feet and said,

"Come on, let me work with your breast or thighs."

"What?"

"Well I could work with the wings or legs if you don't want me to. I really know how to cut up a chicken."

"Oh. Okay, just start with the breasts."

He looked for a knife then slapped his head. His right index finger twisted into a blade. Maka seemed surprised at first until he said,

"I have weapon DNA in me too. That's what makes me dangerous. I like to be the one who swings the weapon instead of being one myself. But if the occasion arises I can and will be a weapon. Tonight, I'm just a chef."

He made a tasty broth that Maka utterly adored. She asked him for the recipe and he gladly wrote it down. They ate the hot bowls while giving glances at each other. Logan had thoughts in his head that he knew Maka would never understand. He jokingly said,

"So is this like a date or something?"

Maka coughed on her soup and Logan panicked. She giggled and said,

"It's not a date until there's candles."

Like the universe was beckoned by her words, the power failed and the lights went out. Logan fell to his side laughing,

"Well would you look at that. I guess it's a date now. It's kind of funny that it happened right now."

Maka lit candles while Logan gazed out the window at the rain. He was wondering what his next move was going to be. Revenge took longer than he wanted it to. At least he was in the company of a cute girl like Maka. He wondered what Maka really felt. She stepped in his way as he started to leave. A look of disappointment was on her face. Logan held out his hand,

"Thanks for dinner Maka. It was more than fun."

She slapped his hand away and wrapped her arms tightly around him. He returned the gesture with uncertainty.


	7. Chapter 7: Winter Months

Chapter 7: Winter Months. Colder Days and Warmer Feelings?

Ethan was hanging decorations and smiling as Patty crunched on a candy cane. Logan had made his soup for everyone that had gathered at his modest apartment. The friends had spent about three months together and only grown closer. The holiday break had been as fun as anyone could hope. Ethan had received a little handheld silent talk pad he could use to express himself. Patty was concerned with all the trees that he had killed with his notebook. She had saved all the adorable notes that he had made for her. She had a shoebox under her bed that had all of them in it. Ethan sat down next to Patty as she swallowed the rest of her candy cane. She kissed him full on the mouth and then pulled back and said,

"How was that?"

He typed on his new device,

'_Min-ty'_

She giggled and kissed him again pushing him onto his back. Logan giggled with the rest of the group at the cute little couple. Logan sat between Liz and Maka with a grin spread across his face. They both had eggnog in their hands. What the group didn't know is that Blackstar added a special ingredient. With a snicker he added alcohol to the eggnog. Several hours after everyone had their fill of their drinks and their holiday meal, everyone besides Blackstar was feeling the effects of the ingredient. Even the chivalrous Logan was slurring his words and not making any sort of sense. Ethan had Patty passed out on top of him. Logan stood up and went into the kitchen were Maka was standing. She turned and looked up at his face. She backed up into a wall and Logan braced himself over her and stared into her eyes. She got nervous and said,

"What are you doing? Logan I-"

"Don't worry. I'll be gentle. Just kidding, I think you are sweet, but I….."

He yawned and said,

"What was I saying?"

"I don't know. Don't worry."

Maka touched his face with her left hand then lowered her arm. Logan rubbed his eyes and retreated into his room. Maka slid to the floor and passed out, her dream was sweet but strange,

_Maka was lying in the grass in a bright white dress. She had her eyes closed and she was breathing deeply. Her eyes fluttered open and she saw Logan sitting next to her. He was in a black suit that was a brand Maka particularly liked. As she tried to sit up, he lightly pinned her to the ground. His voice was smooth and sweet just like it always was,_

"_Don't get up."_

_He shifted his body over her and moved his face close to hers and continued,_

"_I know how to wake a sleeping princess. With this…"_

_He got closer to her so her lips were just about to touch._

She woke up in her own bed with Logan passed out in a chair in the corner of the room. She sat up and smiled at him. She felt her lips and started to blush. She wondered why she dreamt of him, why she would dream of him like that. Her favorite hoodie was wrapped around her delicate skin even though it was a size fit for a boy. Logan's old hoodie was especially comfortable when she wore it. She held her head as she shook Logan awake. His body twitched and he opened his eyes. He grabbed ahold of her shoulder and said,

"How did you sleep? Well I hope. I thought I should guard you since Blackstar spiked our drinks last night."

"He did what?"

"Yeah, he thought it would be funny to get us all drunk. Well I think I kicked his ass, for you guys. I don't really remember."

"Oh. Sorry for making you worry about me. You are so nice."

"Don't worry, that's what I'm here for. You are kinda cute when you sleep. You were talking about being a princess when I brought you in here. I giggled then sat down to protect you from Blackstar's pranks. You were the most vulnerable so I decided to help as best I could."

A scream came from the other apartment and Maka and Logan leapt up and ran to the source of the scream. They entered Logan's apartment to see Kid punching Blackstar in the face. His hair was dyed completely white. He was screaming,

"What the hell Blackstar? I am completely asymmetrical now. My outfit is black and my hair is white. How could you do this?"

Logan grabbed Kid and pulled him off of Blackstar as Patty laughed at Kid freaking out. The whole room started to laugh at Kid's dilemma. The son of Death wasn't laughing at his problem. Maka was still a bit wobbly from being sloshed all night and her knees buckled forcing her to grab Logan's shoulder to brace her body. He held her up and Liz saw Maka blush just from Logan being near her. She had worn that hoodie almost every day since she had gotten it. She was oblivious to where she had gotten the warm fabrics from, but she intended to ask a few questions. She stayed behind claiming that she was going to help Maka clean up. When Logan said he wanted to join them, Liz had kicked him out of his own apartment. Logan shrugged and left with Ethan to get a few gifts for the holidays.

Liz sat on the comfy couch and watched everyone else leave besides Maka and her. She frowned while she looked at Maka. She finally spoke up,

"So Logan… He is pretty great right?"

Maka swirled her right pigtail with her finger and her face was bright red,

"Y-yeah. I mean, he's um, well…."

Liz got up and stood in front of Maka. She grabbed Maka's face and looked into her eyes. With a sigh she said,

"Damn. You have the look. How did this happen? I always thought you would have that look for Soul. But for him of all people. I wish you would have seen him when I had that look for him. He was different then. Nothing could stop him."

"What do you mean?"

"That glimmer in your eyes tells me everything you feel. It is actually a thing Patty told me. She read me like a book and made me realize all the feelings I had for him. She taught me to read people just as well as she does. I want to tell you the story on how I came to have these feelings."

Maka sat down to listen to Liz's story.


	8. Chapter 8: Back Again

Chapter 8: Back Again. Pity or More?

Several Months had passed and Logan still had bags under his eyes. The lack of sleep he endured was for his brother and sister. The orphans had comfortably settled in with Liz and Patty. The eldest boy was reclusive and reluctant to let anyone get close to him. Patty had tried playing cards with him, but he was always so exhausted, even she was able to mop the floor with him. He hadn't given as much as a smile to his new friends and his worried family. He was collapsing in on himself and nothing was working to sturdy his morale. He had gotten everyone gifts for no reason whatsoever. Patty got an origami set, while Ethan got a notebook. He got Liz a semi-new jacket and Rose received a fake Lily and hat that resembled the future Liz's hat. It actually was one in the same. After every gift, his hands were empty as if the world was telling him how he felt. One night while he was struggling with his thoughts Liz sat next to him,

"You didn't have to get us gifts. I would have been fine with my old jacket."

His eyes hadn't moved from the spot they had been locked on,

"No you wouldn't. Your old one had a big tear in it. Your tough but the cold is enough to break a person."

"Whatever. I don't need your help. You needed my help. It isn't like your parents wanted to take care of you."

Logan gritted his teeth and shook as his body flooded with anguish. He took deep sobbing breaths and his tears were forced from his eyes. The badass girl finally understood why they were out on their own and turned flush from what she had just said. They never told the pair of young women why they had no parents. She knew her words had cut him deep. So deep in fact, that she even felt his pain. She put an arm over his shoulder and repeated two words,

"I'm sorry."

He turned into her and cried as hard and as softly as he could. His eyes finally shut that night as Liz caressed his face. She smiled at how sweet he looked while he drifted into slumber. It was at that time she thought he was handsome and cute. Of course he wasn't her type. He needed to be what she refused to acknowledge she needed. A protector. He awoke to his family and patty and Liz staring at him. He had finally had a night's rest and asked,

"Why are you all looking at me like that?"

Patty spoke,

"We haven't seen you sleep at all."

"Yeah sorry. I didn't mean to alarm anyone."

Liz punched the top of his head then crossed her arms,

"Stop saying sorry. You don't need to apologize for doing something everyone else does. Damn Logan, you need to realize that you are the same as everyone else."

She walked away mumbling to herself and Ethan and Patty giggled at Logan's tired, surprised face. He rubbed his eyes and got out of his make-shift bed. Rose was wearing her plastic Lily in her hair. Patty kept on calling Rose, 'Lily' due to the fake flower in her hair. She gave up her protests about the name and let everyone call her it. Logan shuffled around the small worn down house, and did what he usually did. The day became night, just as it always did and Logan was brought along with Liz for groceries, even against her protests. They couldn't be out alone, since law enforcement was looking for the girls. Logan sulked behind Liz as they made their way to the store. The streets were quiet even though the city was usually bustling. Liz moved across the street and in a flash, the headlights from a bus flicked on. Everything slowed down as Logan moved. Liz was petrified as Logan pressed his hand into her stomach to push her. She flew onto the side walk from the force. Logan was in the direct path of the renegade automobile. He couldn't move out of the way in time. Liz shut her eyes so she wouldn't see what was going to happen. A loud tearing of metal rang through the streets. Liz finally lifted her eyelids to see Logan hunched over on one knee. The bus had split in half around him. Scythe blades wrapped his body and protected him from being killed. He was breathing heavily as the blades disappeared. Liz shouted out,

"You idiot. You could have died. Who asked you to save me? If I was going to die that's my problem, not yours!"

Logan's eyes finally changed from the sullen gaze and formed into furrowed furious eyes. He left the wreckage and backed Liz into the building. He slammed his palm into the wall behind her, causing it to crack. His voice was of concern and anger,

"Don't you dare tell me not to save you. Damn it; if I let you die then how do you think that would make me feel? How do you think Patty would feel? Would you just let someone protect you, for once? Just let me redeem myself by saving you….Damn it all."

He rested his forehead on her shoulder and felt his eyes burn with tears. He hated himself for being vulnerable, especially in front of someone so unbroken, so strong, so not-him. All the guilt he felt for his parent's death came out as a need to protect everyone besides himself. The simple selfless acts he committed left him with nothing but helped him cope with all of his heartache. He was holding it even now. The girl was astonished by his words and how they made her heart beat faster. She let a tear flow from her eye and wrapped her arms around his body and said,

"Logan. Let it all out. Please…I'm here."

He took a deep breath and let out a deep set wail of misery. Liz let him cry on her shoulder and brushed his hair as the loudness of his voice died down until he was shuddering in her arms. They walked on leaving the scene. An empty bus that was never filled with people, only a device to control it. It wasn't much but Logan gripped Liz's hand for the rest of the way. She gave him glances and felt her heart jump. She did want a protector. Even after she even denied that she needed one, she still craved a simple person to rely on anytime she needed them. Patty was once the only one she could trust, but now the boy that made her heart flutter, was ready to be another. Logan spoke up while Liz was deep in thought,

"Thank you Liz. I'm glad you are here. I shouldn't have yelled."

"Don't worry about it. You made me realize how selfish I've been. You _are_ a great friend. I shouldn't have been so mean about it, I should have thanked you. I should even reward you."

Logan stopped dead in his tracks and Liz stopped and looked at him. He tightened his grip on her hand then pulled her close. His voice whispered out,

"Let me protect you. I want a purpose in life. I want you to be that purpose. I want to give you this…"

He leaned in to her and locked his lips onto hers. She gave in but they weren't locked together. He broke away and said,

"Let's go on a date, just you and me. Please I really know this could be great."

"Sure. I'd love to."

Logan's lips curled into the first smile Liz had ever seen from him. Her heart melted as he kept the smile all the way home. They opened the door to see Patty and Ethan making out on the old couch they had in the living room. They tore away from each other, but it was too late, they were caught. Logan laughed and said,

"How long has this been going on?"

Ethan coughed and quickly responded,

"A couple of months actually. We just really hit it off. We were trying to keep it a secret, so you guys didn't worry and…. And… Logan; are you smiling?"

"Yep. I actually asked Liz on a date not too long ago."

"I know you wouldn't have that shit eating grin on if you got rejected. So congrats."

They were happy. For the first time since then, they were happy.

Maka leaned back and wondered what Logan was really feeling. Liz left and Maka knew she wasn't over him. She couldn't get a grip on what she was feeling. Question after question ran through her mind but no answers. She got up and went back to her apartment until she heard Logan come home. When the door clicked shut she made her way to him. With a knock on the door, he answered it. She pushed him back and pinned him to a wall. He tried to speak but she wouldn't let him. On the tips of her toes, she kissed his lips.


	9. Chapter 9: The Unexpected Kiss

Chapter 9: The Unexpected Kiss. A Romantic Youth?

Maka pushed her way into the door and caught Logan by surprise. With her hands on his shoulders, she pushed back on him silently. His voice was mixed with different emotions,

"Maka. What's going on? Come on talk to me. Are you okay? Ma-ka."

His back finally collided with a wall and his face was red with how tenderly she was handling him. Her body shifted as she stood on the tips of her toes. Her face was now level with his. Leaning in, their lips touched resulting in Logan closing his eyes and letting a deep warm feeling pass through his body. He was the one to wrap his arms around her. As soon as the gesture had come Logan broke the lock Maka had on his lips. He pulled her close and whispered in her ear,

"Maka. What are you doing?"

Her voice was a whisper as well,

"I needed to know. I needed to know what it was like to kiss someone I adore."

"You adore me? Why?"

"You're so kind, so unbelievably tender and sweet. I want to be close to you when I am not. I think about you even when I'm in the company of others. I've worn the hoodie you gave me every day since I got it."

"Maka, I didn't know. I honestly thought you were interested in Soul. I'm sorry."

Maka nestled her face in his chest and said,

"Then you don't like me the way I like you."

"I didn't say that."

Her face brightened as if he had instantly brought light to this situation. She had to speak again,

"What about Liz? I thought you liked her. I thought you wanted to be with her."

"You don't have to worry about her. We talked about it not long after I took her out of that date. We had feelings but Liz thought it would be better if we saw other people. After that I just didn't really think about girls that much. When I started hanging out with you I realized you are pretty great. The more I hung out with you the more I really started to enjoy it."

She looked up at his face and it was as kind as it always was. She gripped his shirt while he leaned down and kissed her. Her already red face became relaxed and her grip went loose. Instead of an unexpected, mess of a kiss, it was so sweet and her lips felt soft and moist. He could taste a bit of spearmint on her breath. It felt good, it felt natural, it felt, right. He felt her shake a bit and he opened his eyes that he shut for the kiss. The true beauty of her was apparent. She wasn't an object to lust for. Nor was she someone who cared too much about looks. She was beautiful because she could flow like water and go after what she wanted. There was proof in what she did that day. She knew what she wanted and even though she might have done it without true grace, she still made it. It was her bravery that made her so sweet, so amazing. As they parted once again, she smiled and felt her heart beat. He moved from the wall and his arms encased her. Safety was spelled out in the tender embrace. Ethan emerged from his room to see them standing together. His lips curled into a smile and he clicked on his device,

'_Well isn't this sweet? I could hear you two all the way in my room. You look good together.'_

They both smiled at him and held each other tighter. He slipped out the door missing Patty. Logan always thought they were a perfect couple and Ethan always worried about her when they were apart. Logan rested his chin on top of Maka's head and took a deep breath. He felt so enthralled in happiness. He soon thought that Soul would probably be pissed, at him. The thought was only there for second before Maka said,

"Kiss me again."

His body obeyed before he even thought about it. He liked the taste of her lips more than he liked his favorite food. They both turned as a knock on the door interrupted them,

"Hey, Logan. It's Soul, I was looking for Maka. Is she here? She didn't leave a note. So not cool."

Logan wasn't going to lie to him. Maka grabbed Logan's hand and led him to the closed door. She opened it and Soul gazed upon her with him. He was hurt inside but he gave a fake smile and said,

"Well this is pretty cool. Maka finally got someone. It is about time. Well you guys have fun."

He left without another peep. It was unnatural and strange. Soul had given up, he cared so much about Maka as his friend, he would do anything to make her happy, and if Logan made her happy then he would leave it alone.

The next day soon came and Logan felt well rested. He started cooking as soon as he half-ass dressed himself. He was in his jeans and his socks, leaving his upper garments in his room. He was able to find a decent phone for the holidays and typed down words to Maka. He knew she would enjoy breakfast if he made it. He had a special recipe for chocolate chip pancakes that he had been dying to make. He sent a message to Maka that read,

'_Hey if you want I'm making breakfast and would be honored if you would join me. You can bring Soul if you want. The more the merrier I say.'_

About two minutes later Maka let herself into his delicious smelling apartment. She was wearing girlie shorts and a tank top covered by Logan's old hoodie. She tried to sneak up on Logan who was busy waiting for toast to pop. She screamed a cute little scream as he turned and picked her up so her stomach was across his shoulder. She giggled as he span her around then placed her back on her feet. He held her close and gave her a deep kiss that he tried to load with passion. Soul had also come to eat but walked in on them kissing and said,

"Aw come on. I came here to eat, not to see you guys make out. Geez."

Ethan had also come back with Patty at his side. Logan did make a lot of food and expected leftovers, but that leftover thing looked a bit dismal. He smiled and gave plates to everyone. Maka seemed so happy. It made Logan grin ear to ear knowing that he was making someone happy.


	10. Chapter 10: Back to School

Chapter 10: Back to School. A Father's Approval?

Logan had fit into his new hat as well as Maka hoped he would. A fedora that was black with dark red pinstripes was a gift that he received the day before school started. The real amount of joy that the simple gift brought him, made Logan grin from ear to ear. Maka of course, thought he looked stunning in it. He smiled and put on the charm,

"Well, how do I look?"

"You look good. I like that on you."

"Good. I like it too. I want to wear it to school."

He had himself braced over her talking to her. His words slipped off of his lips with elegance,

"I know you would be happy about that. So kiss me. That would make me happy."

She had gotten used to him using his charms on her, and she quite enjoyed having him do what he did. Her lips embraced his and moved around to better grip them. They grabbed their books and jackets and left with Ethan and Soul right behind them. School was something that Logan enjoyed and would even more now that Maka was by his side everywhere he went. She held his hand as they entered the DWMA again. The floor had that potent lemon smell and everything was sparkling again. A loud girl voice came charging from the hallway,

"Ethan! I missed you so much."

Patty was sprinting down the hall and tackled Ethan in a flying hug. She kissed him over and over making him smile. Liz made her way with Kid to the group of friends. He was in his normal outfit and Liz spotted Maka's fingers entwined in Logan's. She gave a slight smile. She was sad to see him go but, he seemed so happy. Letting him go was difficult, but feuding with Maka wasn't something she wanted. She thought that her petty feelings meant nothing compared to his happiness. It was a teen romance alright. Everyone exchanged words with each other and Blackstar showed up. Kid was still pissed about how he had dyed his hair. Blackstar apologized over and over but Kid blocked his humbleness even after his hair returned to normal. Kid would ramble on,

"I can't believe you made me into such a disgusting asymmetrical filthy mess of garbage. You are just lucky my hair went back to normal."

When Blackstar mentioned that his 'normal hair' was also asymmetrical, he flipped out spouting lines of self-hatred and semi-suicidal words ran out mixed into those.

The bell rang and Logan led Maka around despite the glances by other students. Some murmurs were afoot, and other just turned back to what they had been doing before. As Maka closed her locker a burgundy haired man stepped out,

"Hel-lo."

Maka jumped at the sudden sight of the man that wore a black suit. Logan gripped on Maka's arm,

"Hello. How are you sir?"

"I am well. Who are you?"

"My name is Logan Lieben. I'm new this year. Should I know you?"

"Well Maka didn't want me to meet you, but a father should meet the boy who is dating his daughter. The time she does talk to me she never stops talking about you. I came to see what all the fuss was about."

"Oh you're Spirit Albarn. I've heard about you."

Spirit rested his head on his chin as an arrogant gesture,

"Oh you have? Ha, with my reputation, no doubt you've heard how great I a-"

"Yeah you're the repugnant dog Maka said cheated on her mom."

Logan put his fist in his palm as a sign that he had just realized something and Spirit fell on his face in an instant. Tears fell from his eyes,

"Maka, how could you say such a thing?"

She smiled and turned to kiss Logan, as a taunt to her weeping father. The taller boy was hard to lock lips with, so she pulled him down to her level and pressed her lips to his. Spirit looked onward as they left him for class. Spirit nodded and retreated back to Lord Death with a smile on his face. He knew she was in caring and protective hands. His instincts as a father let him know that the Lieben boy was a great fit for his little girl.

They fit themselves into the comfiest spots they could and pulled out the notes needed for the day. Logan gave Maka a peck on the cheek and pulled out a pen to write down notes to his girlfriend. The fist one said,

'_How are you doing?'_

She wrote down,

'_I'm okay. I'm glad to still see you in your hat. You look cute.'_

'_Thanks. You look pretty cute yourself.'_

They were holding each other's hands and were expecting Sid to come in at any moment. Instead Spirit stepped through the door and stepped up to the podium. His voice was kind but stern,

"I am Spirit Albarn and I am filling in for Sid today. He had an urgent matter to attend to."

In reality, Sid was tied up my Mr. Albarn and shoved inside a closet. Maka's father wanted to keep an eye on Maka and Logan. Even though he trusted the young man, he also wanted to protect his little girl. It was his own way of making amends for his screw ups, even though it was mostly annoying antics that pissed off Maka. Logan kept his cool even though Spirit gave him glances that said,

'_Hurt my daughter and I'll kill you.'_

Logan gave him reassuring glances. At the end of class, Spirit gave him a smile that let him know that he approved. He was letting his princess have her prince. She was so happy.


	11. Chapter 11: A Night On The Town

Chapter 11: A Night On The Town. Disaster Around Every Corner?

Logan adjusted his tie with uncertainty. He didn't feel comfortable in his formal attire. His long hair was back in the ponytail fashion with a few of his bangs hanging in his face. Ethan went over his back with a lint roller. He was making sure that his brother was ready for his date with Maka. Logan groaned,

"Damn it all, I look stupid. Aw Hell."

Ethan typed away,

'_You look fine. Now settle down. Just wear the hat Maka gave you. It isn't like you haven't worn it every day since you got it.'_

Logan slapped his forehead with his palm when he realized just how right his younger brother was. He had worn the hat every day since he got it. The suit he bought was a recommendation from Soul of all people. It was black and was a big dent in his budget. He knew that she was worth every penny that he had spent and more than he could ever make in his lifetime. The threads felt smooth on his skin. His dress shirt was midnight silk and the jacket was just as dark with red pinstripes, just like his fedora. The tie he had around his neck was red with twirling black stripes around it. Ethan shined his black leather shoes with Patty hanging off his arms. The pants were tailor made, and pressed with creases. He fixed his coat by pulling it forward and headed out the door. He lightly rapped on the wooden door that blocked Maka's apartment. Liz answered the door and lifted one side of her hip up and said,

"Damn boy, you clean up nice."

"Still older than you, but thank you."

She led him through the door and he kept a sharp eye out for Maka. Liz slumped back into the couch and Soul made his way to the couch with a bowl of popcorn. He was in sweatpants and a sweatshirt. He fell back into the soft fabric and began munching on the salty snack he had just made. Logan was watching Soul and Liz watch a gory horror film. He caught a slight movement in the corner of his vision and turned to see Maka standing with her fingers locked together. Her face was blushing and she was a sight to behold. She had a strapless crimson dress cloaked around her. She had black gloves that went up to her elbows. Her heels matched her dress and her hair was up in her normal pigtails. Logan could only say one word,

"Wow."

Maka blushed and quietly said,

"Do I look alright?"

"Better than alright. So much better."

He stepped up and locked his lips with hers. The tall boy had to lean down to make their lips meet. Liz and Soul made faces at them before they left with their arms linked. Their destination was a fancy restaurant that Logan made reservations for quite a while back. The food was said to be so delicious that you would melt in your seat. While they were walking a cat with a black hat seemed to be following them. Logan turned and spotted the black cat. Maka stopped and sighed,

"What do you want Blair?"

The cat purred and a cloud of smoke bellowed throughout the street. A woman stood in the fading fog. She answered Maka,

"I've been hearing great things about you. Maka won't shut up about you. I can see why she won't stop going on about you. You are quite a catch."

Logan ignored her little flirting ways and said,

"Why are you telling me this; Blair was it? It makes no sense for you to flirt with me. I'm already with someone. You can't just sway my chivalry with feminine wiles. That's not the man I am. I stick by my commitments. I appreciate the flattery and all, but it will get you nowhere fast. Now good night."

He proceeded with Maka tightly gripping his arm. The whole Blair thing was a ruse set up by Maka and the cat. She wanted to test his loyalty to her, even under another woman's presence. So far he had proven himself. He looked down to see her smiling ear to ear. In his mind he knew that he had done well. He also knew that the test Maka had made was coming. He wondered if she thought he didn't notice the strange, hat wearing black cat that she had in her apartment. It made her happy, so he was just as elated to pass it. The restaurant was absolutely stunning and lively once Logan led his date inside. The hostess asked for the reservation. Logan replied,

"Lieben party of two."

With that, the woman wrapped in red garb led them to their table. A waitress stepped up as they read their menus. Maka was wondering what to order from the delicacies that were on the menu. Logan spoke up,

"I think I will have the special tonight. What do you want to eat Maka? You can have anything you want."

"Um..I…..uuh…."

"What's wrong?"

"Just get me the special too."

The waitress nodded and wrote a few words down and took off to the kitchen. Maka rested her chin in her hands as Logan removed his jacket and hat, handing it to one of the workers. He gazed out the window that was next to the table, smiling. He fixed his gaze on Maka who started blushing as his eyes observed her. She thought it was sweet that he was focusing so much on her. Five minutes passed in silence until Maka spoke up,

"Logan?"

"Yes? What is it Maka?"

I think I might…."

Logan's eyes flicked to the side when he saw a light glare from outside of the restaurant. He leapt over the table wrapping Maka in his arms, while the window next to them shattered. His voice was full of compassion,

"Are you alright Maka? I hope I didn't hurt you."

"No I'm okay. What happened?"

Logan lifted himself off of her. He turned to see someone with a rifle starting to run from the scene. He jumped through the broken glass with a sentence to Maka,

"Leave this to me. This assassin won't get away from me. Be safe."

He didn't even feel the ground hit his feet as he sped through the streets following this mysterious onlooker. Somehow he knew who this person was; he could tell by the way she moved. She was like a sickening serpent with her venom hidden in her words. He bounced off the walls to reach the rooftops. There he saw her face. The face of the one he wanted to die more than anyone in the world. He voice was shaking as he approached her now motionless body,

"Aline Esprit, tonight you meet your end. Tonight a Lieben will take his revenge!"

A girl that appeared to be fourteen or younger turned to see the young man. Her voice was true malice,

"Oh? Hopefully you fare better than last time. Or else you might end up like poor little Rose."

"Shut up!"

A scythe blade emerged from his arm as he charged at his hated opponent.


	12. Chapter 12: Revenge

Chapter 12: Revenge. A Tall Price to Pay?

Logan crossed arm with Aline's. She had summoned a blade to block him. Her little body had more than enough power to hold him back. It was unnatural how much strength she had, but Logan knew not to underestimate the demented evil that stood in front of him. She threw him back and kicked him in the chest. He swung his arm at her throat. Her blade stopped his oncoming attack. He was seething anger out of his mind. He wanted nothing more than to kill her for what she had done. Her voice was brimming with evil,

"Usually a death weapon can't use his weapon powers while in human form without cutting his power in half. Not you though, you are a pure weapon. Your power is an exception."

Logan just wanted her lifeless before him. He struck several more times, back and forth with the blades. With one terrible strike he broke through her defense. With that he saw his opening. He crouched, then immediately sprung forward with his crossed arms, striking her stomach. The force of the jump pushed them both through a warehouse skylight. He parted his arms then spikes appeared on his clenched fist. He battered her body and face and raised his right fist and brought it down, sending the girl plummeting to the ground at an accelerated speed. Logan landed breathing deeply and sweat was covering his brow. He was confident that he had finally ended this. Laughing came from her downed body,

"I warned you that you would end up like Rose."

In a split second she hopped up and struck him in the stomach. His eyes grew wide and he collapsed onto the ground. His body lurched around involuntary. It was too much. Logan was shocked by how much power she had. All of this time he trained to be stronger, to kill her for what she had done. He wanted it with a burning passion. With a scream his soul became wrapped around his body. It was swirling with red and green. There were features about it that were unique to Logan. Aline chuckled,

"Yes more power. It will only make it the sweeter when I deliver the Kiss Of Death."

"Just shut up! Even without my brother here, I can kill you. I know I can!"

His body twitched and violently slammed into her. With a quick shift of her own body, Logan was sent flying with a kick. She formed a new weapon in her hand. A flintlock pistol was in her sadistic hands. She pulled the trigger just as Logan moved out of the way. The wall behind him broke open, leaving a gaping hole in the warehouse. Logan turned only to be slammed down to the ground. Aline questioned the young man with a sigh,

"Why do you even fight me? You know you can't beat me. Even after a lifetime of training I would still be the victor. So why do you fight me?"

"To…..To save them."

"To save whom?"

"All of my friends and loved ones."

"How can you save them if you can't even save yourself?"

She punted his ribs and he went through the skylight and in front of the full moon. He let out a breath as his body came back to the ground. He lay motionless on the cracked concrete as Aline made her way to him. Her weapon faded as she placed her body over him. Her eyes turned seductive as her lips got closer to him. His voice shook as she drew near,

"Aline, stop…Please."

"I will never stop."

She latched her lips on his as he struggled to get away. He could feel his soul being sucked away by her power. It was the Kiss Of Death. Logan closed his eyes and let a tear mix into his streaming blood that ran from his forehead. He knew it was all over. He couldn't move an inch. He couldn't fight it.

Their lips parted and Logan took one deep breath in. He coughed it out then looked to see what happened. He fixed his gaze on Maka who had punted Aline through a wall. Her voice was shaking with anger,

"Get away from my boyfriend you bitch. I'm the only one who gets to kiss him!"

Logan jumped up and embraced her. The things he wanted to say to her made him a bit dizzy. It could have also been his near death experience. He filled his kiss to her with all of his true emotions. Their opponent entered the building once again. She now wielded a claymore in her hands. Maka nodded to Logan and he gave her his left hand. His body started to glow and his words rang true and clear,

"Let's go Maka. I'm yours."

With his last words he warped into a scythe that a slight curve away from the blade. The blade was grey as well as the handle. The back of the blade was attached by a pointed 'X'. Maka could easily carry around Logan as this form. She took a couple test swings before getting back into a battle stance. Aline ran at the couple with murder in her eyes. She connected the blade across Logan's handle. As a pure weapon he could use some of his abilities as a weapon as well. He reached his soul wavelength out and attacked Aline with all the force he could muster. She screamed as a red and green lightning struck her body. Logan called out,

"Maka are you ready to do this?"

"Right!"

Their voices were in unison,

"Soul Resonance: Witch Hunter!"

Logan felt his blood rush and knew this had to work. The blood in his veins felt hot then cold. Something was changing. He didn't care as long as he killed Aline. The girl fell back and said,

"Even if you kill me, I am not alone. The one _you_ seek is the original. I am but a mere clone. The weakest of seven in fact. My death won't mean anything. It isn't the end."

She heard Logan's voice as Maka raised him up to end her,

"It's a start!"

The clone screamed out but was cut short as Maka sliced through her. Even though she was a clone, a Kishin egg appeared. Logan left his scythe form and grabbed ahold of the floating orb. He slipped it into his mouth and swallowed. Maka spoke,

"Why are you eating souls? You don't have to be a death weapon."

"But I want to become stronger. That was number thirty-seven."

He turned to her and wrapped his arms around her. He was shaking and crying. She kissed him over and over. He knew it was only going to get worse. He turned and spit blood from his mouth. He left with Maka and left a puddle of black blood mixed with his saliva stained the floor of the ware house.


	13. Chapter 13: The Rest of the Weary

Chapter 13: Rest of the Weary. Pain of the Past?

He was bandaged up by nurses and doctors. His wounds were a bit deep at parts but for the most part he would be fine. Logan was crying as Ethan was next to him typing away,

'_Clones huh? This just got a hell of a lot more complicated.'_

Logan nodded to him and Maka had her hand in his. She nearly lost him. Her heart was still beating hard even though Logan was soundly asleep after everyone left. The sedatives had knocked him out even though he was resisting. His dream was of him walking in a liquid that lightly covered the ground. He turned looking for anyone in sight. He was shivering without his own clothes to cover him. Nothing but darkness surrounded him. He continued to walk towards nothing. He stopped when he felt arms wrap around him. He moved his head to see a pale skinned woman with inky hair holding him. Her voice was sweet and seductive,

"Logan my sweet Logan. I'm am here for you. Let me take your pain away."

"W-who are you?"

"A friend, a lover, your salvation. I am what you crave in this world. Maka could never give you the power you need, the love you need. She could never save you from this cruel world."

"Maka? Wait I….Maka. She saved me. You are wrong."

He pulled away from her embrace and turned to face her. She was crying and completely undressed. He felt liquid run in between his toes and he shifted his gaze down to see what appeared to be ink climbing up his legs. In every direction the liquid rose. It stopped at about his knees. She was weeping and he started,

"Hey don't cry. I didn't mean anything by it. We can be friends if you want."

He smiled and she wrapped her arms back around him. Her voice was soft,

"I'll never let you go."

Logan woke from the dream and to Maka's smiling face. Even though she was sleeping her face was happy. Logan squeezed her hand enough to wake her. Once her eyes were fixed on him his voice came out,

"I should tell you just who that woman is."

"The one that attacked you?"

"Yes. The very one. When I was settling down with Liz and Patty, Ethan and Lily became more and more agitated with each other."

"Damn it Ethan, we all need to work together to keep this place tidy. You need to pick up after yourself."

"There are three other people besides us living here. You blame me for everything. Your soap is lower than you thought, you turn to me to blame. Your snacks are missing, I'm your target. Well what about you? Are you aware that you eat in your sleep? All of us have seen it. Logan wanted to keep it a secret from you. You do other things in your sleep too."

"Lily Ethan, enough!"

Logan turned his voice stern and ridged. His first date with Liz was about to start and he was getting sick of the constant arguing. He kept quiet most of the time but now he was tired. Ethan just kept going,

"No don't you defend her. All of this is her damn fault! We wouldn't have to struggle like this if she didn't fuck up!"

Logan responded,

"Ethan s-"

"Shut your damn face. You aren't dad okay. You aren't going to just replace him. You just can't. Not since she killed them both. They are gone because of her. They are gone because she wouldn't listen. How many times did they tell her not to leave the stove unattended? They are gone because. Of. Her."

The door slammed as he finished. Lily had left with tears streaming from her eyes. Ethan turned to see the locket hit the ground after it hit him. Logan sprinted after her but stopped before he left after Lily,

"Damn it all Ethan. Your words do more damage than your actions ever could. You should think of what your next words will be. If there is any malice or anything less than a begging apology to her, I swear I will kick your ass. I am your brother and all we have is family and friends you are about to ruin both. Like I said your actions may do damage, hell we are Death weapons. If our actions can hurt people imagine what our words can do. We love you bro, don't ever doubt that."

He ran out after her throwing his hood on his hoodie over his hair. A thunderclap rang out and rain came crashing to the ground. Ethan picked the locket up and realized it was different than the one their mother carried. Lily had made it herself. He opened it and saw a picture of himself and Logan.

"Damn Lily where are you?"

An explosion ripped like thunder. Logan saw smoke bellowing out of some random building. He kept running in the direction he was going in. The building that had the smoke was coming into view. Logan caught a scream through the heavy rain. His heart jumped and he made his way to the building. A hole in the side of the building gave a passageway to Logan. His eyes widened as he saw what was awaiting him. A woman holding Lily by the roots of her hair. His sister was dripping blood onto the ground. The nameless woman was holding a stained blade. Rose's throat was cut and her body was thrown to the ground. Logan's voice rang out,

"ROSE!"

The woman cackled out as she flicked her blade. Logan tried to stop his sister's bleeding but it kept pouring out onto the ground. Logan couldn't even see through his own tears as his sister faded away. Her voice was weak,

"Tell Ethan….I'm sorry. Brother I'll miss you…don't let her take my soul."

"Rose no. I won't. Please don't."

Her eyes lost their light and her soul emerged from her chest. He held it in his hands and saw the woman for a split second before she sent him flying. He held on to her soul as she kicked him around trying to capture it. She held him up and she demanded it.

"So that's what happened. The rest is a bit fuzzy but I know that Ethan came and we were barely able to fend her off."

"Logan I am so sorry. Come here."

She wrapped her arms around him and he let out a few sobs.


	14. Chapter 14: Darkness Rising

Chapter 14: Darkness Rising. The Fiction In Reality?

Logan stood in the dark pool of the liquid. Black inky liquid flowed around him in his dreams. The pale woman watched him as a black blade appeared in the young man's hand. Monsters rose from the liquid and roared at Logan. With swift movements, Logan swung the blade around cutting apart everything but the woman who gazed upon him. Logan took a deep breath and the blade vanished. As he turned to talk to the woman another monster jumped up at Logan. The woman screamed as it leapt up. Logan gripped its face and squeeze until its head popped and crashed to the ground. Logan felt his hands were trembling. These dreams weren't just coincidence. He was getting stronger outside of his dreams. It was unnatural and slightly maddening. Logan woke to darkness and the warm body of Maka next to him. These dreams somewhat scared him and Maka had been staying with him at night to comfort him when he awoke. This time she was soundly asleep and breathing in heavily. Logan pulled her close and kissed her deeply. He cried a little as he touched her lips with his. He was scared, and he felt he was losing his grip on reality. He was surprised when Maka started to move her lips with his. She sucked on his lower lip a bit and then asked,

"What's wrong Logan? Are you okay?"

"Yes my dear. I'm okay. I was just entranced on how beautiful you look while you sleep."

"I do? Thank you. You're such a charmer."

Maka giggled a bit then let out a big yawn. She crawled on top of him and rested her head on his chest. His heartbeat calmed her as he was blushing. She was listening to the heart he wanted to give her. It was funny how much he cared for her. He never expected to find someone he could feel deeply about. The feeling never crossed Logan besides all that time ago with Liz. But now this slender, warm tender girl was in his embrace. He was so happy with her even though his body was trembling. They both fell back to sleep in a peaceful comfort.

The morning brought chirping birds and a warm wet kiss from Maka. Logan woke from his now dreamless slumber to see Maka's beautiful face and her slightly messy bed head. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it. With a yawn, Logan smiled and said,

"Hey there beautiful. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes I did. You are very comfortable to lay on. Your muscles are surprisingly soft."

She giggled then ran her finger down his bare chest. Maka left the tender embrace and grabbed a set of her school clothes. She smiled and said,

"I'm going to hop in the shower. Is that alright?"

"Of course, Maka. I hope you like the water. It gets pretty hot."

"Okay. I'll be back."

As she walked in she dropped her towel and she was completely unaware she did. Logan sat up and saw that the towel was crumpled up. He jumped up and picked it off the floor. He wasn't even thinking as he opened the door to his own bathroom. The open door revealed Maka with Her shirt removed and white laced bra out for him to see. She had her skirt down to her knees that also made Logan able to she her panties that matched her bra. Logan's mouth hung open as he stared at his girlfriend just standing there. Her face was beet red as Logan's nose started to bleed. He closed the door slowly and wiped his nose slightly. Logan waited until the water stopped. Maka stepped out and Logan spoke,

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to."

"Logan. It's okay. It's okay. I appreciate you bringing my my towel. But maybe knock next time?"

"Yes of course. It won't happen again. Sorry."

"Logan. Stop apologizing and kiss me."

He did as he was told and kissed her gently on the lips. She smiled as they parted and he gripped her hand as a flash from his dream entered his mind. The darkness, those monsters, it was all just slipping into his mind day by day.

The assignment at school was to track and destroy a Keshin egg that had been terrorizing the dark woods outside of Death City. Logan and Ethan had been paired with a shy looking boy named Crona. Maka had mentioned him before yet this was the first time they had met. Logan was the first to speak as they were traveling the streets of Death CIty,

"Glad to meet you Crona. I really look forward to working with you. If you want we can be friends."

"Really? Well, um, I never really thought about it. Aren't you Maka's boyfriend?"

"Yeah. She's pretty wonderful isn't she?"

"Well uh yeah. I guess she is."

Ethan followed grinning and staring up at the sky. Patty had spent nearly the whole day making origami and snuggling close to him. The fresh air felt even better than it usually did. Logan was already making another friend and it seemed that he would have to join into the conversation. He clicked on his device a message that he put in front of Crona. It read,

"_Don't worry. We are both good people. I'd like to be your friend as well."_

Logan saw movement in the trees as they went about five hundred feet into the woods. His voice was quiet yet Ethan heard him clearly,

"Ethan, revolver form please. The enemy is here."

His brother nodded and obeyed his brother. The bright silver gun landed in his hand and was shot across the branches of the trees. several pieces of wood were shattered as Crona had his blade out, waiting for a moment to strike. With a stronger more explosive shot, the enemy fell from the leave cloak he was hiding in. Crona jumped forward and swung his blade. Even with the surprise attack, the target flipped it's body out of the way landing a blow to Crona's chest. Logan caught the airborne target by the leg having his dreams flash through his mind. He could feel the evil inside the being his hand was holding. Logan screamed out smashing it through a tree and into another. His eyes filled with red that turned black as midnight, as he blew a hole threw its chest. He punched it several times before kicking it with enough force to crack the large tree it was against. Logan lost his grip on Ethan as he went into this flurry and continued to beat down the ugly Keshin Egg that he was hunting. A loud crunch was the sound of it's head caving in. Logan pulled the evil soul from it and placing it in his own mouth. Crona had a scarred face on as Ethan got up from the ground. His brother was cackling out as he turned to his teammates. Crona knew what was happening yet remained silent. He didn't want his new friend getting in trouble. Especially with what was in him now. Logan was trembling as his eyes returned to normal. He saw the horrible mess he had made. He thought it was all a dream. He was slipping between what was real and what was in his mind. He feared for those around him. Especially Maka and Ethan.

After their report of success Logan stayed to talk to Lord Death. His words were forced out as if he was holding himself hostage,

"Lord Death. What's wrong with me? I'm losing myself. What should I do?"

"I have been watching you closely. Your battles have become more and more fierce. The real question is; what do you think you should do, to protect the ones you love?"

Logan remained silent for quite a bit until he answered with a tear rolling down his cheek,

"I know what I need to do."

Logan had a pack on his back for his journey to nowhere. Fog had covered the streets of Death City, leaving the pathways empty and barren. Tears dripped onto the ground as he neared the gate. He expected no resistance, yet someone was waiting there ready to stop him along with his partner that had taken the form of a pistol. Logan muttered out to him,

"Step aside Ethan."

Ethan stood silent as he normally would. He locked eyes with his brother as he went into a battle stance,

"No."


	15. Chapter15: Logan's Painful Resolve

Chapter 15: Logan's Painful Resolve. Love Without Tears?

The explosion ripped through the city streets, drawing the attention of Maka who was walking the streets of Death City. She felt a pain in her chest as she ran towards the smoke that billowed from the edge of the city. Her eyes welled up as she felt worse and worse as she drew near the incident. As she came upon the scene she fell to her knees. Logan was standing over Ethan. A piece of rebar pipe was through Ethan's leg and he was losing a lot of blood. Even as he was screaming in pain, he was pulling his leg off of it. Logan slammed his brother back down and bent the pipe so movement was impossible. He punched Ethan hard in the face and his body went limp. He picked up a black blade as Patty went to attack. Logan took a bit of blood from his shoulder and pressed his hand to her stomach. HIs voice was barely audible,

"Bloody pulse."

A black arch of lightning wrapped around her body and she crumpled to the ground. Logan turned as Maka screamed out,

"Logan!"

His right eye was encased in black and his blood was squirming around on his face. It was black and dripping from his nose. His eyes went wide. The black blade disappeared as he grabbed his things and ran from the city. Maka sat in tears as the others from the group showed up tending to Ethan and Patty. Maka sat silent. Silent and alone. She was shaking as she somehow made her way home. She was wrapped in his hoodie, it still had his smell. She whimpered out his name over and over as Soul closed the door as he walked in. She ignored his presence as he spoke,

"Maka. We need to go after him."

The words were slow to sink in and yet Maka's eyes stayed wet with tears. This pain she felt inside was of confusion and she knew it was her own fault. The black blood. She had it inside and now it consumed Logan. She zipped up the hoodie and pulled the hood over her head as she walked up to Soul. He spoke again,

"Damn it Maka, talk to me. Just because your boyfriend went psycho doesn't mean your world has to collapse."

Her voice was cold and painful,

"He wasn't just any boy or any man. He was mine. I think I might have even... Soul, I think I love him."

"Maka that's so stup-"

His words were interrupted when Maka slapped him in the face. He stood astonished. His face was red and Maka stood on the verge of collapsing. She was shaking at the knees. Soul smiled and said calmly while rubbing his cheek,

"Well that one had the bitter bite of love in it. So you aren't just saying that. That was cool. You do love him don't you?"

Maka nodded and she left the house once more and ran to the school. At this time she needed guidance. She knew that Lord Death knew about this already. She wanted his advice. She wanted to feel better. But most of all she wanted Logan back in her arms. In the presence in of usually goofy demeanored Lord of the City, Maka felt no better as he offered tea. He knew why she was here in his room. It was uncomfortable and yet Maka said,

"Why Lord Death? Why did this have to happen? Why didn't he come to me or you for help? I should have known this would happen, I should have been with him. I...I...I..."

"He did this for you. and not only for you. He did this so what happened today didn't happen. Maka, trust me, it broke his heart to leave. He came to me for help, yet I couldn't help him. He begged and pleaded yet, there was nothing I could do. He left to save you all from his madness. He knew that he was losing control. He thought of you, Ethan, Liz, Patty, Kid, Soul, Crona, Blackstar and Tsubaki. Not to mention all the students and people of Death City. Never once did he mention that he was concerned about his own well being. I've never seen a more selfless boy. I can see why you love him."

Maka finally gave in and wailed out, crying and wiping the tears. Death was right. Logan was a selfless man. Always thinking about others before he ever thought about himself. From the stories Liz and Patty told her, he hadn't changed from since the time they knew him. Death leaned over to see Liz hiding behind a pillar and listening in. His voice was soft and slightly commanding,

"Liz, come on out. I'm sure you heard all of it."

She left her cover with tears in her eyes. Maka turned and stood up, hugging the weeping Liz. They both cried together as they heard a woman call out from the entrance,

"Ethan you need to get back to bed. You can't be out and about like this. You need to heal."

"Get off me! I need to speak to Lord Death. I need to know what happened, since none of you at the infirmary will tell me. Damn it all."

Ethan lost his balance and collided with the floor. He rolled to his stomach and pulled himself across the floor. He got back to his feet and made his way to Maka, Liz and Lord Death. Maka stood to meet him. Her voice was soft,

"He's gone. Logan is gone. He left. He left for us."

Ethan grabbed her by the collar of the hoodie and pulled her towards him,

"Damn it, why didn't you stop him? You were right there! You could have stopped him! Why did you just let him go? You're still wearing his hoodie too. How can you live with yourself just seeing him go?!"

"Ethan. I'm sorry. More than you'll ever know. I'm sorry Ethan. I'm sorry!"

She broke again into tears as he loosened his grip. He fell again as Maka watched her tears hit the ground.

Meanwhile, Logan was floating on his back. The inky liquid flowed around his entire body and Logan could no longer touch his feet to the bottom. All the dark surrounded him. As he floated, he came across a small stone ruin. With a quick swim he climbed on top of the flat stone and laid down. The woman emerged from the liquid and sat next to him,

"Hello dear. How fares your swim, my sweet Logan."

"Get away from me. I want to be left alone. It's all I ask. It's all I've ever asked for."

"As you wish. I'll be back."

Logan's limbs were tired and sore. It was about time he slept. He welcomed the peaceful yet sorrowful slumber.


	16. Chapter 16: Traces

Chapter 16: Traces. Because of You, My Love?

Nearly a month. Nearly a whole month since she last saw him. Leads upon leads that got Maka nowhere closer to finding her loved one. Logan Lieben. Every day was spent searching for him. Lord Death was understanding and let Maka's group search for him. It wasn't turning up anything. Maka could feel that today was going to be different. The group was running into a village that was thought to be wiped out by a Keshin Egg. Yet, when the word got out a boy with a black blade ripped apart the evil being and swallowed the soul. Witnesses also said that the boy kept repeating only two sentences.

"I'm sorry, so sorry." and "I miss you Maka."

As Maka was running carrying Soul across her back in scythe form. His voice came from the silence of the trek,

"Do you really think we will find him? It has been three whole days since the incident. Well even if we don't find him we might find a clue."

"Yeah. I miss him so much. I hope this lead doesn't end up being a dead end."

The village came up and Kid and Blackstar along with their weapons by their side. With a nod they fanned out looking for the wayward student. The village was quite small but a hint could be anywhere around the village. The only place Maka went was the middle of the village. Blackstar saw the leaves of the trees swirling around and stopped dead in his tracks. Tsubaki spoke up,

"Blackstar why have you stopped? We need to keep-"

"Tsubaki, over there. Is that...?"

A shadow was moving just away from the pair. It carried a black blade.

"Kid, what exactly are we looking for?"

"Well Patty, we are looking for any sign that Logan has been here. We need to find him, for Maka's sake and for his own. How are you holding up Liz?"

"I'm okay. I just want to find him and tell him how I feel. I want to save him from himself. I told Maka."

"What exactly did you tell her?"

"I told her that I still love him. I told her that I'll...tell him."

As they moved along a black blade shimmered through the leaves.

"Maka. Are you alright? We can take a break if you want."

Maka thought it was sweet of Soul to be thinking about her well being, yet her hands and knees kept shaking. The closer she got to the center of town, the more anxious she got. All the hope she had, was building up. Maka found a small totem with a light emanating from the middle of it. As she got closer it became a clear image of a flower. Maka ran and put her hand close to it. A Rose and a Lily next to each other. They both were glowing a light blue color. When her touch graced the small glowing flowers a large shockwave of light covered the village. An image of Logan appeared in front of the girl and her partner. His eyes had a sullen look about them. Maka's eyes welled up and she let out one word,

"Logan."

The image started to speak with a sorrowful tone,

"Maka. I see you found my message. This is being relayed to only you and those around you because I set it to only play when your wavelength was close enough. The first thing i want to say is I am sorry. I never meant for this to happen. I had been losing track of minutes then hours of myself to the black blood. Now I fear I can only take control of myself for a few minutes each day. It's all horrific. I miss you so much. But I am driving myself to stay away from you and everyone. I don't want to hurt you. Now I must go. If my mind and body allows it, you'll see more of these, more flowers."

The Image faded as Maka saw a tear come from Logan's cheek. She reached out and watched as he faded away. She was about to cry when Blackstar jumped back with a cut across his chest. He was screaming out,

"Damn it Logan knock it off."

Soon after a shadow figure that looked like Logan hopped by without a word, its hair blocking view on its eyes. Kid jumped back shooting several times as another shadow Logan attacked, swinging a black blade missing Kid's neck. They all went back to back as one last Shadow appeared and leapt towards them. Maka flipped upwards and kicked one in the face. it twisted its body and grabbed her leg pulling her to the ground. Maka used Soul to bat away the creature, while slicing one of its arms off. The severed arm crashed to the ground in a puddle of black inky substance. The creature wasn't phased by the loss of a limb as it attacked once again. With a swift change in formation, Blackstar cut one's head clean off. It fell to its knees then to the ground. It turned to the same substance as the arm. After about thirty three more minutes of fighting they had stopped the two other shadows. Maka turned to see that Blackstar's cut was gone and that all the injuries they had sustained we disappearing. Kid took a deep breath,

"It's just as i thought; Soul Phantoms."

Everyone looked confused at his words so he just had to explain,

"See a Soul Phantom or Phantom if you want to be short, is a manifestation of inner turmoil of a powerful being. When the wavelength of a powerful soul becomes erratic it can leave traces behind that form and reside in a place for as long as it isn't slain. It is like a memory or a type or ghost if you will. They can kill mortals and anything that crosses into their domain, but if defeated the injuries you obtained, fade with the phantom. Some believe phantoms to be evil some don't even believe they exist since of their rare occurrence."

Maka looked at the ground and saw the black smudge where the first one died,

"So every time we get closer to Logan, we will have to fight these, phantoms."

"It could very well be the fact. The more Logan loses himself, the more phantoms will appear. If we do not find him soon, we could be fighting an army of those things."

"Even so, we should maybe get more help before we head off again. Let's call Lord Death and ask him for assistance. I feel like we will need it in the near future."

The call was worthwhile. They were sending the best miester that the DWMA had. Professor Frank N. Stein.


End file.
